Tool-handle



W. B. SWAN. T061. HANDLE;-

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoMode.)

16.466,969. Patented Peb. 16, 1692.'

{No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

W. B. SWAN. Too'L HANDLE.

No. 468,969. Patented Peb.` 16, 1892.

QJAQMJLM @KM rrnn STATES IVIIILIAM B. SIVAN, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

TOOL-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,969, dated February16, 1892. I

Application iled .Tune 1, 1891. Serial No. 394,696. (Nomodel.)

T .fall whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, NVILLIAM B. SWAN, a citi-y zen of the United States,residing at Seymour, in thecounty of New I-Iaven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool-Handles and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, anddurable tool-han-V dle which shall be adapted for general use, but moreespecially as a handle for screwdrivers, gimlets, &c., and which shallcombine with the features of an ordinary simple handle a spiralspeed-driver and both a right and left ratchet-driver.

Q With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novelconstruction which l will now describe, referring by numerals to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1` is an elevation of the handle complete with a screw-driverlocked in place therein, the hand-piecebeing pressed down to its extremelowered position and wholly inclosing the spiral; Fig. 2, a longitudinalsection; Fig. 3, a section on an enlarged scale on the line asinFig.2,looking up; Fig. 4, a sec- `tion on the same line, looking down;Fig. 5,

a partial sectional view corresponding with Fig. 2, showing thehand-piece partially withdrawn from the chuck and spiral, as in use, the.-tool being withdrawn to show the construction of the locking-device;Fig. 6, a section on the line y y in Fig. 2, looking up, showing theleft pawl in engagement with the ratchet; Fig. 7, a similar view showingthe right pawl in engagement with the ratchet; and Fig. 8 isa detailplan view of the pawls, the plate by which they are carried, theoperating-cam, and the spring, the two guides extending from the platebeing in horizontal section.

1 denotes the hand-piece or handle proper, which may be of any ordinaryor preferred design, the upper portion of the hand-piece shown in thedrawings being octagonal in cross-section- 2 denotes a transverse recessin the upper portion of the handle, which extends inward from one side,and 3 a longitudinal recess extending from the lower end of the handleand intersecting the transverse recess. At the lower end of thehand-piece is the usual ferrule 4. i

5 denotes a plate fitting closely in recess 2 and having extendingtherefrom a guide 6, having a hole 7 through it, and a guide 8, providedwith a socket 9, the purpose of which will presently be explained. 10and 11 de.- note, respectively, right and .left pawls pivoted to saidplate, both of said pawls being normally thrown inwardthat is, to theiroperative position-by a spring or springs l2. In the presentinstance Ihave shown a single curved spring engaging and controlling both` pawls.When it is desired to use the handle upon the ratchet principle, eitherof the pawls may be thrown out of position by an operating-cam 13 upontheinner side of plate 5, said cam lying between the two pawls, asclearly shown, and being provided with a shank 14, which extends throughplate 5 and is provided with finger-piece 15 for convenience inoperation.

16 denotes a longitudinal sleeve in recess 3, which fits snugly -in saidrecess, but is capable of rotation therein. The upper end of the sleevepasses through hole 7 in guide, the

extreme upper end being reduced, as at 18, and resting in socket- 9 inguide S, in which it turns freely.A In practice the upper end of thissleeve consists of a ratchet 19, which is preferably made solid and isengaged by one or both of the pawls in use. Vithin sleeve 16, and justbelow the solid upper lend thereof, is a solid rib or cross-piece 20. Atthe lower end of the sleeve (see Figs. 3 and 5) are one or more recesses21, which are engaged by corresponding lugs 22 on a sleeve 23, which forconvenienceI will term the short sleeve. Sleeve 23 .and the lower endofv sleeve 16 are inclosed within andare held in place by an innerferrule 17, which is driven-tightly into the handle and may be locked inplace, if `preferred, by a pin 17l or in any suitable man-l ner. Sleeve16 is provided with suitable hold- Vro By the terms upper and.lower endsI vrefer to the position of the parts asseen in Figsl, 2, and 5, itbeing of course obvious that in use the handle will work equally well inany position. Within sleeves 16 Aand 23 is a spiral 24, at the lower endof which is rigidly secured a chuck 25, by which the tool to vbe used iscarried. The upper end of the-spiral is provided with a recess 26, whichis adapted to receive cross-piece 20, so as to lock the spiral to theratchet when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2.v In thisposition 'of the parts, as the ratchet is also locked to the hand-pieceby the pawls,it -follows that when the hand-piece is turned the ratchet,spiral,

and chuck will be turned thereby, thus caus-Y ing the handle to operateas an ordinary simple handle, all of which willpresently be fullyexplained. It will be readily understood that the spiral is whollyindependent of sleeve 16,

except when in the position shownl in Figs. l and 2, in whichcross-piece 20 is in engagement with recess 26. Sleeve 23, however, isprovided with one or more lugs 27, which engage the grooves of thevspiral, so that said sleeve 23 must either be rotated by the spiral orwhen said sleeve is locked to sleeve 16 by are stops 28, which areengaged by lugs 27, to

, or bolt 36. l ger-piece 37, which extends through a slot 3S 4limittheinward and outward movements of the spiral and to hold the partsimposition after assembling. The upper stop appears onlyfin dotted linesin Fig. 2. The lower stop, which is identical, shows clearly in Figs. 2and 5.

29 is a coil-spring lying between the lower end ofsleeve 23 and the endof the ferrule, which receives and cushions said sleeve when the upwardmovement of the hand-piece is made. The chuck is provided with a recess30 to receive the shanks of tools. The shanks, which are denoted by 31,are each provided with an outwardly-extending lug 32. The chuck isprovided at its lower vend with va longitudinal groove 33, whichintersects a short-transverse groove 34, the latter groove being of justsuitable size to receive and hold lclosely the lug 32 on the shank of atool. The

chuck is also `provided with a longitudinal re-V cess 35, which receivesa spring-actuated pin This pin is provided with a 1inin the side ofthechuck. Longitudinal groove 33 and longitudinal recess 35 register withyeach other, the lower end of the pin extendtool inA the chuck. Tolremove a tool from the chuck, pin v36 is moved backward by means of thefinger-piece, and the tool given aslightrotary movement to carry the lug32 out of groove 34, after which it isdrawn straight out.

The operation is as follows: Suppose that it isv desired to use thehandle as a speeddriver, cam 13 is turned by means of the iinger-piece,so that the engaging portion of said cam, which I have denotedspecifically4 by 13, is turned toward the front from the position shownin Fig.` S-that is to say, so that said engaging portion does not holdeither of the pawls out of operative positiombut leaves both pawls freeto be moved inward by the spring int) engagement with the teeth ofratchet 19. the hand-piece is moved outward sleeve 16 is drawn out-wardwith it, disengaging lugs 22 on the short sleeve 23 from recesses 21 inthe lower end of sleeve 16. It follows, therefore, the two sleeves beingno longer connected and the hand-piece with sleeve 16 being drawn upwardover the spiral, that sleeve 23, through the engagement of lugs 27 onsaid sleeve with the 'grooves of the spiral, must be rotated thereby,said sleeve 23, following sleeve 16 closely, being held in position bythe ferrule and spring 29, there being an1pledistance,how

ever, between said sleeves to prevent lugs. 22

from engaging the recesses 21. 4The rotation of sleeve 23 will continueuntil the outward movement ot the hand-piece is stopped by the Iengagement of the lugs 27 with the stops 28 at the upper end ot' thespiral. Should it bev desired to turn in a screw, the operator engagesthe blade of the driver with the groove in the head of the screw, drawsthe handpiece upward, as just described, and `then forces it straightdownward. Vhen the downward movement of the hand-piece and sleeve 16commences, lugs 22 upon sleeve 23 are forced into recesses 21 in thelower end of sleeve 16, thus locking the two sleeves together. As sleeve1,6 can no longer rotate, it follows that downward movement ofthehandpicce must cause saidsleeve to impart rotary movement to the spiral,carrying with it the chuck and the driver and turning the screw inrapidly, the speed at whicht-he screw is turned vin depending, ofcourse, upon the pitch of the thread of the spiral. Should greater powerbe required than can be obtained through the use of the spiral-as, forinstance, in setting a largeesized screw-the handle is operated inthemanner ot' an ordinary screw-driver when the hand-piece is down toits lowered position, as in Figs. 1 and 2, no special set-ting of thepawls being required.

Should it be required to use the tool as an 1 ordinary ratchet-driver,as in turning in ay In this position of the parts when IIO pawl with theratchet locking the ratchet against rotation independently of thehandpiece when turned toward the right,butleav ing it disengaged fromthe hand-piece-when the latter is turned toward the left. The operator,therefore, withoutremoving his hand from the hand-piece, turns towardthe right to drive the screw in, then turns the handle backward to thestarting position, and 'then' turns forward again, the right pawlslipping freely over the ratchet when the hand-piece is turned backward.

Suppose now that it is required to remove a screw that has been alreadydriven. operator-by means of the finger-piece turns cam 13 until theengaging portion thereof forces the right pawl out of engagement withthe4 ratchet, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, leaving the left pawl inengagement therewith. 'This locks the hand-piece, ratchet, spiral,chuck, dac., together when the hand-piece is turned toward the left, butleaves the hand-piece disconnected from the ratchet when the hand- Thehandle thus becomes a ratchet-driver for the purpose of withdrawingscrews. Then the left pawl is thrown out of operative position, it is aratchet-driver for the purpose of driving screws, and when both pawlsare in engagement with the ratchet the handle becomes a spiralspeed-driver.

I have only illustrated a single tool-z'. e., a screw-driver-in thedrawings. It will of course be apparent, however, that gimlets or othertools may be substituted, if required, the handle being admirablyadapted for use as a speed-driver for gimlets and small-sized bits.

Having thus described 'm y invention, I claim- 1. In a tool-handle, asleeve socketed in the hand-piece and having a ratchet and a crossvpiece at one end and recesses 21 at the other end, and a spiral having arecess 26 at one endjto engage the cross-piece and carrying av chuck atthe other end, in combination with a sleeve 23, having lugs 22, adaptedto enga-ge the recesses in sleeve 16, lugs 27, which engage the groovesof the spiral, pawls adapted to engage the ratchet, and anoperating-cam, whereby either pawl may be thrown out of engagement.

2. In a tool-handle, the combination, with a sleeve 16, socketed in thehandle and having a cross-piece 20 at one end and recesses 21 at theother end, and a spiral having at one end a recess to receive thecross-piece and at the other end a chuck, of a sleeve 23, having lugs22, adapted to engage the recesses in sleeve 16, and lugs 27, engagingthe grooves of the spiral, and stops 2S near the ends of the spiral,which engage lugs 27 to limit the inward and outward movement of thespiral, substantially as described.

3. In a tool-handle, a sleeve 16, socketed in the handle and having aratchet and crosspiece at one end and recesses 21 at the other The Aandan operating-cam, whereby either of said pawls may be retained out ofoperative position, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the hand-piece having transverse andlongitudinal recesses and a ferrule 4, a sleeve 16, having a ratchet19,a cross-piece 20, and a recess 21 in the lonp gitudinal recess, and aplate 5, having guides 6 and 8 for said sleeve in the transverse recess,of a spiral having at its upper end a recess 26adaptedto engage thecross-piece, and at its outer end a chuck, a sleeve 23, having lugs 22,adapted to engage recesses 21, and lugs 27, engaging the grooves of thespiral, spring-actuated pawls upon plate 5, which normally engage theratchet, and an operating-cam which, is adapted to retain either pawlout of engagement with the ratchet, so that the handle may be used as aspiral speeddriver or as a right or left4 ratchet-driver.

v 5. The combination, with the hand-piece having a ferrule 4 and sleeves16` and. 23, havinglugs and recesses, as shown, said sleeve 16 having atits upper enda ratchet and a` cross-piece, of a spiral having acarryingchuck and a recess at its opposite end adapted to receive thecross-piece, spring-actuated pawls which normally engage the ratchet, anoperating-cam whereby either pawl may be held out of engagementtherewith, and a spring 29 between sleeve 23 and the ferrule,substantially as described.

6. In a tool-handle, the hand-piece and the spiral having a recess atits upper end and carrying a chuck at its lower end, in. combiother,sleeve 16 having at its upper end .a

IOC

ratchet and a cross-piece and said sleeve 23 having lugs 27, whichengage grooves ,of the spiral, and spring-actuated pawls adapted to `engage the ratchet, so that when thehand-piece is lifted sleeve 16 isdisengaged from sleeve 23, the spiral passing freely through sleeve 16and imparting rotation to sleeve-23, and when the hand-piece is moveddownward sleeves 16 and 23 are engaged and rotaryvrnovemcnt is impartedto the spiral, substantially as` described.

7. In a tool-handle, the hand-piece and the spiral having a recess atits upper end and carrying a chuck at its lower end, in combination withsleeves 16 and 23, having lugs and recesses, whereby said sleeves engageeach other, sleeve 16 having at its upper end a rengage lthe ratchet,and an operating-cam whereby either pawl may be thrown out of4engagement, so that when the recess in the spiral isin engagement withthe cross-piece and a paw is thrown out of engagement the handle becomeseither a right or left ratchethandle.

8. In a tool-handle, a sleeve 16, soeketed in the hand-piece and havingan annular rib and recesses 21, and a spiral earryinga chuck, in

combination with a sleeve 23, having lugs 22, 1o adapted to engage therecesses in sleeve 16, y

and lugs 27, whiehengage the grooves of the l 1 spiral, and an innerferrnle 17, which inoloses sleeve 23 and is engaged by the rib on sleeve16.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presen ee of tWo witnesses.

WILLIAM B. SWAN.

Witnesses:

' DAVID F. BUSCH, ROBERT HEALEY.

